Prefabricated building



Dec. 27, 1938. J. H. MINER PREFABRICATED BUILDING F-iled Nov. 1l, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l F IGZ.

Filed Nov. ll, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .1 Vl R E ww M NN 0 mmn, .a HA A JIM Y 2, @a o 5 a Z 5 3 X f A .Vp n Ll rvr.

Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNlTED STATES @ATENE FFQE 2,142,060 rnnrsearcn'rnn BUrLnrNe Application November 1l, 1936, Serial No. 110,217

S Claims.

This invention relates to buildings of the kind commonly referred to as prefabricated houses"` which are made up of units, elements or parts of such design that they can be fabricated or constructed at a factory and thereafter transported to a distant point and combined or as sembled so as to produce a complete building that can be constructed at a lower cost and erected in less time than a building made up of conventional building materials that are fabricated or combined on the job.

One serious objection to or disadvantage of the various kinds of prefabricated houses now being sold or exploited, is that they allow very little latitude or variation in design and dimensions, and hence are too stereotyped and standardize to be popular with the general public.

Another objection is the excessive cost of erecting partitions and finishing the interior of the house aiter the side walls have been erected, it being necessary in, most instances to build up the partitions progressively from conventional building materials which are cut and fitted on 'the job, and apply lath and plaster, or equivalent sheet material, to the inner faces of the side walls and ceiling supporting structure so as to produce walls and ceilings that are comparable to the walls and ceilings of conventional frame and brick houses.`

One of the main objects of my invention is to reduce the cost of prefabricated buildings and to this end I have devised a prefabricated building that is made up of side wall units, partition unitsrand ceiling units that are complete and finished at the time they leave the factory, and

which are of such design and construction that when they arrive at their destination they can be assembled quickly and easily by unskilled labor so as to produce an insulated, re and vermin proof building whose ceilings and walls are ready to be painted, papered or otherwise decorated.

Another object is to provide an eiilcient, nonstandardized, prefabricated building of low cost and attractive appearance, whose general design, dimensions and arrangement ofv rooms, windcws and doors can be easily varied to suit the preference or requirements of an architect or prospective purchaser. To this end I have devised a system or method of constructing prefabricated buildings which contemplates: (l) fabricating or building complete in a factory a set of side wall units which differ from each other in one or more particulars, a set of partition units whichdiffer from each other, and a set of ceiling units which also diier from each other; (2) erecting the side walls of the building from the side wall units and governing the shape, size and door and window arrangement of said Walls by selecting the particular kind or kinds or units of` the side wall set that will produce such shape, dimensions and door and Window arrangement; (3) selecting and utilizing for the ceilings, the kind or kinds of units of the ceiling set that will completely iili in the space between the side walls; and (4) erecting the partitions of the building by selecting and combining the kind or kinds of units of the partition set that will produce partitions of the requisite length whose ends nt snugly against the side walls and against other partitions.

Another object is to provide a prefabricated building which is of such design and construction that the assembly line method of construction may be used in the factory to produce complete units that can be quickly and easily combined in the field to produce iinished side walls. ceilings and partitions, simply by arranging said units in edge-Wise or abutting relationship, and then interlocking them with each other and with cooperating parts of the structure by deforming or bending over retaining devices that are integrally connected to the units.

Another object is to provide a unit for prefabricated buildings that is rigid, light in weight, easy to combine in the eld with other units or with a co-acting part of the building, and which is of such form that any desired insulating material can be incorporated in same at the time the unit is being constructed in the factory.

Another object is to provide a side Wall or partition section for preiabricated buildings that is made up of a plurality of elements arranged in parallel relation and held against relative lateral movement by concealed integral devices on one edge of each unit that t in openings in the edge of an adjacent unit.

And still another object of my invention is to provide a side wall section for prefabricated buildings that is made up of substantially hollow parallel units Whose vertical side edges are locked with each other by concealed devices and whose lower and upper ends are attached to a supporting or anchoring means by integral devices on the units that enter holes in said supporting or anchoring means during the operation of erecting the units, after which said devices are adapted to be bent over so as to lock the units in position.

Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Fig. 1 of, the drawings is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating a one-story prefabricated building constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating how the units shown in Fig. 1 may be employed to build a two-story house.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating a side wall panel and a window panel, and showing how said panels are intended to be combined or assembled during the operation of erecting a side wall of which they form a part.

Y Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View of a partition panel.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of a door panel.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a partition panel; and Figs. '7 and 8 are enlarged detail views of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 1 illustrates my invention applied to or embodied in a building which is provided with any type or kind of foundation, the one herein shown consisting of concrete footings A integrally connected to a concrete slab A1 on which the floor of the building is laid. The side walls of the building are formed from a plurality of prefabricated units that are built complete at a factory and then shipped to the field or place where the building is to be erected. My improved method or system of constructing prefabricated buildings, contemplates the use of a set of side wall units that comprises a plurality of panels of the same general nature or character which differ from each other either in dimensions, shape, or the purpose for which they are employed; for example, the side wall set may comprise a plain panel two feet wide, a plain panel four feet wide, a right-hand corner panel, a left-hand corner panel, one or more window panels and one or more door panels. All of said panels are of the same height and they are of the same general design in that each panel consists of a substantially hollow shell of approximately oblong shape in horizontal cross section, provided with an outer face or part I, made of sheet metal, and an inner face or part 2, made preferably of a sheet of rigid asbestos material as shown in Fig. 3. Said parts l and 2 are permanently united at the factory by means of threaded fastening devices and the metal part l is preferably formed from a rectangular-shaped metal plate whose peripheral portions are bent at right angles to the plate so as to form a square edge portion 3 at the two vertical side edges and at the horizontal top and bottom edges of the panel. Said vertical side edge portions are provided with laterally projecting flanges 4 to which the asbestos plate 2 is attached by fastening devices 5 having threaded Shanks that enter holes in said flanges and heads that are counter-sunk in the asbestos plate 2, and the edge portions 3 at the upper and lower ends of the panel are provided with vertically disposed integral flanges 6 and 1, respectively, that extend transversely across the inner side of the panel, the flange 6 projecting downwardly from the top edge of the panel and the flange 'l projecting upwardly from the bottom edge of the panel. The two main parts l and 2 of the panel are so proportioned and combined that when the panel is completed there will be transversely disposed portions 6 and 'l at the upper and lower ends of same that are off-set inwardly with relation to the asbestos plate 2 which constitutes the inner side of the panel, the left-hand side edge of said asbestos plate will be set inwardly a slight distance from the left-hand edge of the panel, and the right-hand side edge of the asbestos plate 2 will project laterally slightly beyond the right-hand edge of the panel. Hence, when the panels are arranged in assembled relationship with their vertical side edges, abutting against each other, the asbestos plates 2 which form the inner sides of the panels will lap over and cover the vertical joints between the metal portions of the panels. In order that the portion of the asbestos plate 2 which projects laterally beyond the right-hand edge of the panel will be protected against breakage when the panel is in transit and will be held flush with the asbestos plate of an adjacent panel after the panels have been assembled to form a wall, the flange 4 at the right-hand edge of the panel is so proportioned that it will project laterally beyond the edge of the asbestos plate 2 as shown clearly in Fig. 3. In assembling the panels the fastening devices 5 which pass through the left-hand edge portion of the asbestos plate 2 of one panel (the window panel in Fig. 3) are loosened suiciently to permit said plate to be sprung outwardly sufficiently to permit the flange 4 on the adjacent panel to the left to be slipped under the outwardly sprung portion of the plate 2 when the two panels are brought together. Thereafter, the fastening devices 5 in the panel to the right are tightened so as to cause the flange 4 on the panel to the left to be clamped securely in position with the result that the asbestos plates 2 of both panels are brought flush with each other.

The side wall panels above described are erected upon and securely connected to a metal supporting member B formed preferably by a Z-bar mounted on the foundation, and the upper ends of said panels are attached to a wall plate or tie member C that is arranged horizontally in parallel relation to the supporting member B. The upwardly projecting flange 8 on the Z-bar B is so proportioned that when a panel is arranged in operative position on said Z-bar the flange B will fit in the off-set at the lower end of the panel and bear against the transversely disposed metal part 1 at the lower end of the panel. In order that said parts may be connected in the field quickly and easily, I provide the flange 'l of the panel with a plurality of integral projections 9 that are adapted to enter holes in the flange 8 of the Z-bar when the panel is positioned on the Z-bar, the said projections 9 being adapted to be bent by striking them with a hammer so as to draw the portion 'l of the panel into snug engagement with the part 8 of the Z-bar and thus securely lock the lower end of the panel to the supporting member B of the wall. The side wall plate or tie member C at the upper end of the wall is herein illustrated as consisting of a pressed metal member of substantially U-shape in cross section arranged with its side legs or flanges disposed horizontally, the bottom leg of said tie member C being provided with Ya downwardly projecting flange IIJ that is adapted to fit in the off-set at the upper end of the panel and bear against the transversely disposed metal part B at the upper end of the panel. Said transversely disposed part 6 is provided with a plurality of integral projections ll arranged so that they will pass inwardly through holes in the part l0 of the tie member C after which said projections are adapted to be bent over so as to lock theV upper end of the panel to the tie member. In order that the side edges of adjacent panels will be held against relative lateral movement, each panel is provided at one of its side edges (the right-hand edge in Fig. 3) with a plurality of lateral projections I2 that are adapted to enter holes I2a in the left-hand edge portion of the adjacent panel to the right thereby effectively preventing the panels from springing laterally intermediate their ends. Preferab-ly the projections 9, II and I2 above referred to are produced by shearing the metal in the parts that carryn said projections and then bending the sheared portions of the metal laterally or at right angles.

The above described method of combining the panels and connecting them together makes it possible to erect the panels quickly and easily and, moreover, produces a wall that is perfectly rigid. Owing to the fact that the outer side wall plate is formed from light gauge metal, it is preferable to provide the panel with internal reinforcing devices formed preferably from pressed metal, channel shaped members i3 that are arranged vertically inside of the panel and secured in position in any suitable way, the preierable method being to weld the reinforcing devices I3 to the metal plate I. Inasmuch as the panel consists of a substantially hollow shell, it is practicable to ll the panel with glass wool or some other suitable kind of insulating material x during the operation of fabricating the panel at the factory thereby saving the troubie and expense of applying insulating material when the building is being erected in the field. The foregoing description applies to the plain side Wall panels and to the various other panels constituting the side wall set. The window panel shown at the rightV of Fig. 3 is constructed so that portions o-f the plate i will constitute a frame for a Casement sash I4 that is ntted to its frame at the factory. Preferably a trim molding I5 is attached to the panel at the factory. Similarly, the door panel shown in Fig. 5 is constructed so that portions of the metal plate i, or pressed metal parts that are attached to same, will serve as a frame and jamb I@ for a door (not shown) that is preferably fitted to its frame at the factory, the door opening in the panel being provided with a metal trim Vi that is combined with the panel at the factory. When the building is being erected in the 'field the shape and dimensions of the building, as well as the arrangement of the Windows and outer doors, can be easily controlled to produce a non-standardized building simply by building the major portions of the walls from plain panels and the remainder of the walls from selected corner, window and door panels. Moreover, the various parts above described can be used to produce either a one-story building or a two-story building as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In constructing a two-story building the same supporting member B is used, but instead of being fastened to the foundation by anchoring bolts SS, as shown in Fig. l, it may beheld to the foundation structure by tie angles 3'! attached to the first floor joists. In the case of a two-story building, the tie member C previously described, is arranged horizontally at approximately the center of the side wall and the oor joists or other supporting structure for the second floor are connected to said supporting member C by tie angles or in any other preferred manner. The panels which constitute the upper portion of the wall are erected upon said supporting member C and secured to an upwardly projecting flange Gila thereon in the manner previously described in the discussion of Fig. l.

The set of partition panels previously referred to comprises a plurality of panels of different width but of the same length and general details of construction. As shown in Fig. 4, each partition panel is composed of two parallel plates or sheets i 8, preferably of rigid asbestos material, attached in any suitable way to substantially U-shaped pressed metal members I9, disposed vertically so as to form internal up-right andA side edge members that will bear squarely against the side edges of adjacent panels. At the lower end of the panel is a base piece formed preferably by a flat metal plate 2S that carries angles 2l disposed so as to form the side pieces of a trough in which the lower end portions of the parts i9 of the panel may be positioned and then secured in any suitable way. At the upper end of the panel is a cap piece which is also formed from a nat metal plate 26a and angles 2m attached to same. At one vertical side edge of the panel are a plurality of integral laterally projecting devices 22 that are adapted to enter holes 22d formed in the opposite Vertical side edge of an adjacent panel. In erecting a partition it is only necessary to arrange the panels in an up-right position with the side edges of the panels bearing squarely against each other, and then lock the panels to the floor and ceiling structure of the building by inserting fastening devices through the angles 2! and Zia at the lower and upper ends of the panels, the lateral projections 22 on the side edges of the panels securely holding the panels against relative lateral movement intermediate their ends.

The ceilings of the various rooms of the building are produced by attaching ceiling panels to a supporting structure carried by the side walls of the building. The ceiling panels differ from the side wall and partition panels principally in that each ceiling panel comprises only one plate, instead of two parallel plates, attached to a metallic structure that imparts rigidity to the panel. In the form of my invention herein illustrated, the set of ceiling panels comprises a plurality of panels of different dimensions, each of which is constructed from a rigid plate 23 of asbestos or some equivalent material, attached to a substantially oblong shaped frame composed of pressed metal, channel shaped members 24 arranged with their side legs or flanges projecting inwardly as shown in Fig. l. The plate 23 constituting the exposed face of the panel, is ittached to the frame members 24 by means of threaded fastening devices 25 screwed into the bottom flanges of said frame members and the panel is fastened to the ceiling supporting structure preferably by means of bolts 25 that pass through the top flanges on the frame members 2li. In constructing or fabricating the panel, the asbestos plate 23 is permanently combined with its supporting frame at the factory, and as said frame is of substantial thickness, usually having a depth of three or four inches, it is practicable to insulate the panel at the factory by placing a bat of glass Wool or some other insulating material inside of the frame 2e and holding it in position by tie strings or tie wires while the panel is in transit. In the operation of erecting the building the ceiling panels are arranged in parallel relationship as shown in Fig. l with the side edges of the panels and the ends of the panels butting against each other and with the outer edges of some of the panels bearing against the vertically disposed metallic parts Iii of the side wall plates C. By selecting 7;

Similar floor moldings 21a are arranged at the ceiling panels of the proper size or kind, it is possible to produce a ceiling structure that fits snugly against the side walls and Which is securely anchored to an over-head supporting structure. After the ceiling units have been assembled and connected to the supporting structure of the ceiling, they co-act with each other to form a perfectly flat and smooth ceiling that can be papered, painted, or decorated in any other preferred manner.

I prefer to arrange finishing moldings at the points where the side walls of the building join the ceilings, and at the points where the side walls join the floors, for the dual purpose of providing an ornamental trim or finish for the rooms of the building and also to form a space in which electric wires can be concealed and run to fixtures mounted on the walls or ceilings. In the drawings I have illustrated ceiling moldings 21 formed from pressed metal members that are held in position by supporting clips 28 as shown in Figs. l and 2, said ceiling moldings being constructed in such a way that they can be snapped onto said clips and retained in operative position thereon without the aid of fastening devices.

bottom edges of the side walls, said floor moldings 21a being constructed so that they can be snapped into operative position on stationary supporting clips 28a.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have produced a form of construction for prefabricated buildings which makes it possible to produce buildings of various sizes, shapes and designs from parts that are fabricated and completed at a factory and then shipped disassembled to the field. In addition to providing a nonstandardized prefabricated building, I have produced a prefabricated building which can be manufactured at a lower cost and erected in less time than any of the various makes of prefabricated buildings that are now being sold or exploited, due to the fact that in my improved building the partition panels and the ceiling panels come to the job in a completed condition and ready to be papered, painted or otherwise decorated after they have been installed in operative position.

Having thus described my invention, what I hold as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a prefabricated building, a' side wall made up of a plurality of completely formed panels arranged in abutting relationship with their inner and outer faces flush, a horizontally disposed supporting member at the lower edge of said wall provided with a flange disposed so as to lap over said panels and resist movement of same in one direction, a horizontally disposed structure.

tie member at the top edge of said wall provided with a flange disposed so as to lap over said panels and resist lateral movement of same in one direction, and integral devices on said panels that are adapted to be inserted in openings in the said flanges of said supporting member and tie member and thereafter bent into interlocking engagement with same.

2. A prefabricated building of the kind described in claim l, in which said panels are substantially hollow and provided with outer faces formed from metal plates that have integral flanged portions to which are attached by removable threaded fastening devices, insulating plates that constitute the inner portion of the wall.

3. A prefabricated building of the kind described in claim l, in which the panels consist of light weight, reinforced shells filled with insulating material, and each provided on one of its longitudinal side edges with integral tabs that project into openings in an opposed longitudinal edge of an adjacent panel.

4. A prefabricated building of the kind described in claim l, in which the supporting member consists of a IZ bar and the tie member consists of a pressed metal U shaped element, one of whose legs has a downwardly projecting flange.

5. A'prefabricated building of the kind described in claim 1, in which the inner sides of the panels are off-set at their lower and upper ends so as to receive the flanges on the supporting member and on the tie member to which the panels are, attached by the bendable devices on the panels.

6. A prefabricated building, provided with side walls made up of units each of which consists of a substantially hollow shell and some of which have doors and windows fitted to same during the operation of fabricating the units, integral devices on said units for interlocking them with tie members and supporting members arranged at the top and bottom edges of the wall, con cealed male and female devices on the longitudinal side edges of the units for preventing relative lateral movement of same, partitions made up of completely fabricated panels of substantially hollow form, provided at their upper and lower ends with attaching flanges in which removable fastening devices are inserted to se- I cure said panels to a floor structure and ceiling structure, the terminal panels of said partitions being arranged in abutting relationship with the side walls, and a ceiling made up of ceiling panels arranged flush with each other and provided with flanged metal parts that are attached by fastening devices to a ceiling supporting JOHN H. IVIINER. 

